A chlorine gas leak at Roaring Springs forced the closure of all inner canyon corridor trails at Grand Canyon National Park, officials posted Wednesday evening on X, formerly Twitter.
Bright Angel Trail, North Kaibab Trail, and South Kaibab Trail are closed until further notice for both day and night hikers, the social media post said.
Chlorine is routinely used at Roaring Springs as a disinfectant and added to water to control microbes. Cylinders of chlorine gas are flown into Roaring Springs for this treatment process.
According to the Grand Canyon National Park 2023 water quality report, all sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by substances that are naturally occurring or man-made.
Water traveling over land or through the aquifers is subject to picking up contaminants like microbes, organic and inorganic chemicals, radioactive materials, and substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
These can include microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, from wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, livestock, and wildlife; inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, that are naturally occurring or result from wastewater discharges, industry, mining, or farming; pesticides and herbicides from agricultural uses,runoff, and residential use; organic chemical contaminants from industrial processes, runoff, and septic systems; and radioactive contaminants that are naturally occurring or the result of mining activities, according to the water quality report.
For real-time information, visit the official Grand Canyon National Park website.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chlorine gas leak forces closures of Grand Canyon trails